View source for Albanian Americans

{{Short description|Americans of Albanian birth or descent}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group            = Albanian Americans
| pop              = {{flag|United States}} '''224,000''' (2024)<br>(0.07% of the US population)<ref name="2024Cen1/">{{cite web|title=Table B04006 - SELECTED POPULATION PROFILE IN THE UNITED STATES 2024 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates: People Reporting Ancestry|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=B04006:%20PEOPLE%20REPORTING%20ANCESTRY&g=010XX00US_040XX00US06|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|language=en}}</ref><ref name="WPR">{{cite web|url=https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/albanian-population-by-state|title=Albanian population by state|publisher=World Population Review/U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=May 10, 2024}}</ref>
| image            = Albanian_USC2000_PHS.svg
| image_caption    = The language spread of [[Albanian language|Albanian]] in the [[United States]] as of the [[U.S. census 2000|2000 census]].

{{collapsed infobox section begin|States|div=yes}}
| region1          = {{flag|New York}}
| pop1             = 52,000
| ref1             ={{sfn|Nedelkoska|2015|p=17}}
| region2          = {{flag|Michigan}}
| pop2             = 30,200<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT1Y2022.B04006?q=Ancestry&g=040XX00US26|title=People Reporting Ancestry|publisher=[[U.S. Census]]}}</ref>
| ref2             ={{sfn|Nedelkoska|2015|p=17}}
| region3          = {{flag|Massachusetts}}
| pop3             = 21,300
| ref3             ={{sfn|Nedelkoska|2015|p=17}}
| region4          = {{flag|Ohio}}
| pop4             = 4,000-20,000
| ref4             = <ref name="albanians-cleveland">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Albanians|url= https://case.edu/ech/articles/a/albanians |encyclopedia= The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History |publisher= [[Case Western Reserve University]] |access-date= May 15, 2020}}</ref>
| region5          = {{flag|Illinois}}
| pop5             = 15,300
| ref5             ={{sfn|Nedelkoska|2015|p=17}}
| region6          = {{flag|Connecticut}}
| pop6             = 12,000
| ref6             ={{sfn|Nedelkoska|2015|p=17}}
| region7          = {{flag|New Jersey}}
| pop7             = 15,500
| ref7             = <ref name="States 2011-2015">{{cite web |title=Table B01003 - TOTAL POPULATION Universe: Total population 2011-2015 American Community Survey Selected Population Tables |url=https://www.census.gov |website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |language=en |access-date=2018-12-21 }}</ref>
| region8          = {{flag|Pennsylvania}}
| pop8             = 10,000
| ref8             = <ref name="States 2011-2015"/>
| region9          = {{flag|Florida}}
| pop9             = 16,000
| ref9             = <ref name="States 2011-2015"/>
| region10         = {{flag|California}}
| pop10            = 7,000
| ref10            = 
| region11         = {{flag|Texas}}
| pop11            = 7,000
| ref11            = <ref name="States 2011-2015"/> 
{{collapsed infobox section end}}
| popplace = {{hlist|[[New York metropolitan area|New York City]]|[[Philadelphia]]|[[Jacksonville, Florida metropolitan area|Jacksonville]]|[[Tampa Bay area|Tampa Bay]]|[[Detroit metropolitan area|Detroit]]|[[Chicagoland]]|[[Waterbury, Connecticut|Waterbury]]|[[Dallas-Fort Worth]]|[[Greater Boston]]}}
| langs            = {{hlist|[[American English]]|[[Albanian language|Albanian]]||other languages}}
| rels             =
* [[Islam]]
* [[Christianity]]  
}}
{{Albanians}}
'''Albanian Americans''' ({{langx|sq|shqiptaro-amerikanët}}) are Americans of full or partial [[Albanians|Albanian]] [[ancestry]] and [[Cultural heritage|heritage]] in the [[United States]]. They trace their ancestry to the territories with a large Albanian population in the [[Balkans]] and southern Europe, including [[Albania]], [[Italy]], [[Serbia]], [[North Macedonia]] and [[Montenegro]]. They are adherents of different [[religion]]s and are predominantly [[Muslim]]s and [[Christians]], while some are [[Irreligion|irreligious]].

In 2024, there were 224,000 counted people of Albanian descent living in the [[United States]],<ref name="WPR"/> mostly in the [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]] and the [[Great Lakes region]].<ref name="Census 2012">{{cite web|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_12_1YR_B04003&prodType=table|title=Table B04003 - Total ancestry categories tallied for people with one or more ancestry categories reported - 2012 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates|work=US Census Bureau|access-date=January 23, 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150128195215/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_12_1YR_B04003&prodType=table|archive-date=January 28, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> This is a major increase since 1990, when there were only 47,710 Albanians in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|title=1990 Census of Population: Detailed Ancestry Groups for States|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cp-s/cp-s-1-2.pdf|access-date=3 December 2015|page=15}}</ref> The figure includes all people affiliated with the United States who claim Albanian ancestry, both those born in the country and [[naturalized]] citizens, as well as those with [[dual citizenship]] who affiliate themselves with both cultures.

People of Albanian descent are often concentrated in the [[Delaware Valley|Greater Philadelphia]], [[Greater Boston]], [[Metro Detroit]], [[Chicagoland]], [[Tampa]] and [[Jacksonville, Florida]]; [[New York City]], and [[Waterbury, Connecticut]] areas. About three-quarters of the Albanian American population lives in the aforementioned Eastern U.S. states (52,000 in [[New York State]], 30,000 in [[Michigan]], 21,000 in [[Massachusetts]], 16,000 in [[Florida]], 15,000 in [[Illinois]], 15,000 in [[New Jersey]], and 12,000 in [[Connecticut]]).

There are also smaller, yet sizable communities within the Midwest such as [[Greater Cleveland]], and [[Kenosha]] and [[Milwaukee]], and as well as smaller East Coast communities like that of in the [[Washington, D.C. metropolitan area]] that encompasses [[Northern Virginia]] and [[Maryland]]. West of the [[Mississippi River]], there are smaller ethnic Albanian communities in [[Dallas-Fort Worth]], [[Houston]], [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], and [[San Diego]] areas.

==History==
[[File:Top of Rock Cropped.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[New York City Metropolitan Area]] is home to by far the largest Albanian population in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dhs.gov/files/statistics/publications/LPR11.shtm|title=Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2011 Supplemental Table 2|publisher=U.S. Department of Homeland Security|access-date=2012-07-11}}</ref>]]
[[File:Downtown-paterson-nj2.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Paterson, New Jersey]], is home to the second largest Albanian American population, after [[New York City]].]]
[[File:Lakewood Park (31384868578).jpg|thumb|250px|[[Lakewood, Ohio]] and the West Side of [[Cleveland]] are home to a significant Albanian population.]]
[[File:Downtown Jacksonville at night.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]] is home to the most Albanian Americans in the state of [[Florida]].]]
[[File:Cathedral of St. George Historic District South Boston MA.jpg|thumb|200px|The Albanian Orthodox cathedral of St. George in South Boston, Massachusetts.]]

To avoid service in the Turkish War during the late 19th century, due to Albania being under the rule of the [[Ottoman Empire]], Albanians would arrive in the U.S., namely to [[Chicago]], [[Boston]], and New York.<ref>"Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups." Albanians. Pages 23-28. [[Harvard University]], 1980.</ref> The first Albanian documented to have emigrated to the United States was Kolë Kristofori ({{langx|en|Nicholas Christopher}}), who landed in [[Boston]] in the early 1880s and is remembered as the pioneer of the Albanian ethnic group in the U.S.<ref name="th24">{{cite encyclopedia|editor-last=Thernstrom|editor-first=Stephan|editor-link=Stephan Thernstrom|editor2-last=Orlov|editor2-first=Ann|editor3-last=Handlin|editor3-first=Oscar|editor-link3=Oscar Handlin|title=Albanians|encyclopedia=Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups|pages=23–28|url=https://archive.org/details/harvardencyclope00ther|year=1980|publisher=[[Harvard University Press]]|isbn=0674375122|oclc=1038430174}}</ref> It was not until the 1900s that large numbers of Albanians reached the U.S. East Coast: most of them were young bachelors from southern Albania.<ref name=th24/>

In addition to the Boston and Chicago areas, [[Albanians in New York City|large numbers of Albanians would make their home in the N.Y.C. area]], especially in [[the Bronx]]. Workers settled in New York in the early 20th century, many of whom would find work in shoe, glass, and textile factories.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of New York City: Second Edition| isbn=978-0300182576 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lI5ERUmHf3YC&pg=PT134| last1=Jackson | first1=Kenneth T. | last2=Keller | first2=Lisa | last3=Flood | first3=Nancy | date=December 2010 }}</ref> A second wave of Albanians arrived after [[World War II]], and many of them were refugees from the [[Communist regime]] of [[Enver Hoxha]]. These refugees came from all regions of Albania and settled mainly in New York.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of New York State|page=40|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=tmHEm5ohoCUC&pg=PA40}}</ref> Albanians would also be instrumental in the pizzeria and restaurant industry in New York, Boston, Chicago, and other metropolises.

In 1912, Albanians began arriving in the [[Detroit]] area.<ref name=Mayerp1>Mayer, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=Un1uAAAAMAAJ&q=Armenians 1].</ref> At the time there were groups in east Detroit, northwest Detroit, and [[Grosse Pointe, Michigan|Grosse Pointe]].<ref name=Mayerp1/> The early settlers originated from southern Albania, but they were recorded as being from Greece, Turkey, or from the country in which they boarded their boats to the United States. Many had initially lived in New York and New England, but moved to Detroit by the 1910s.<ref>McGinnis, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=BJEI-NtailsC&pg=PA219 219].</ref>

The majority of this first wave of emigrants, approximately 10,000, did not intend to permanently settle in the U.S., and went back to Albania after [[World War I]].<ref name=th24/> Meanwhile, the post-WWII group of emigrants from Albania reached the U.S. The second group settled and intermarried in their new country.<ref name=th24/> The number of Albanians that reported the [[Albanian language]] as their mother tongue in 1920 was around 6,000.<ref name=th24/>

===Post-World War II ===
After [[World War II]] the Albanians who emigrated to the U.S. were mostly political emigrants, and by 1970 the figure rose to around 17,000.<ref name=th24/>

Following the [[Expulsion of Cham Albanians]] from Greece in the aftermath of World War II, many of them migrated to the United States, asserting that the Communist government in Albania discriminated against and persecuted them.<ref name = Vickers>{{Cite book
| last     = Vickers
| first     = Miranda
| title     = The Cham Issue - Where to Now?
| url     = http://www.da.mod.uk/colleges/arag/document-listings/balkan/07(01)MV.pdf
| publisher     = Defence Academy of the United Kingdom
| access-date     = 2011-06-07
| archive-date     = 2012-12-09
| archive-url     = https://archive.today/20121209175153/http://www.da.mod.uk/colleges/arag/document-listings/balkan/07(01)MV.pdf
| url-status     = dead
}}</ref> They managed to retain their traditions and language,<ref name = Vickers/> and created in 1973 the [[Chameria]] Human Rights Association which later merged and became Albanian American Organization Chameria which aimed to protect their rights.<ref name=CHRA>{{cite web|url=http://www.chameriaassociation.org/enmis.html |title=Official site of the Chameria Human Rights Association |access-date=2009-03-31 |author=Chameria Human Rights Association |year=2009 |location=Tirana, Albania |language=sq |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203160539/http://www.chameriaassociation.org/enmis.html |archive-date=2008-12-03 }}</ref><ref name=AAOC>{{cite web|url=http://chameriaorganization.blogspot.com|title=Zëri i Çamërisë - Voice of Chameria|website=chameriaorganization.blogspot.com|access-date=26 June 2017}}</ref> (see [[Cham Albanians]]).

Allowing for the families that had abandoned their mother tongue, it is estimated that around 70,000 US citizens with an Albanian background lived in the US in 1980.<ref name=th25>Thernstrom, p.25</ref>

In the 1990s, many Albanians from [[Albania]], [[Montenegro]], [[Serbia]], and the [[Republic of North Macedonia]] emigrated to the United States as refugees of war. Another Albanian American ([[Kosovar Albanian|Kosovan-Americans]]) community in the [[Riverside, California|Riverside]]/[[San Bernardino, California|San Bernardino]] area of [[California]] includes Kosovars who entered the United States at the [[March Joint Air Reserve Base]] in Riverside.<ref>Fischer, Bernd J. "Albanian refugees seeking political asylum in the United States: process and problems" in ''Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies'' 31.1 (2005)</ref>

A wave of mass immigration came in 1992 with the [[breakup of Yugoslavia]] and it continued in the 1990s. Some Catholic ethnic Albanians from [[Montenegro]] entered the United States from Mexico and settled in Detroit.<ref>Trix, ''Albanians in Michigan'', p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=bDp5AAAAMAAJ&q=Albanians+in+Michigan 12].</ref>

===Arbëreshë Americans===
Some of the first ethnic Albanians to arrive in the United States were immigrants from Italy who descended from a group of Albanians known as the [[Arbëreshë people|Arbëreshë]]. The Arbëreshë were a group of Albanians who fled to the [[Kingdom of Naples]] and to the [[Kingdom of Sicily]] in the 15th century to avoid invasion by the [[Ottoman Empire]].

This group of Albanians is distinguishable from other Albanian Americans due to their [[Italianization|Italianized]] names, as well as their [[Italo-Albanian Catholic Church|Albanian Greek Catholic]] religion. Nevertheless, Arbëreshë have a strong sense of identity, and are unique in that they speak an archaic dialect of Tosk Albanian called [[Arbëresh]], which does not have any Ottoman influence.

[[Greater New Orleans]] has a history of an Arbëreshë community, mostly descended from 19th century Sicilian immigrants. Oftentimes, wherever there are Italians, there are a few Arbëreshë mixed with them. Arbëreshë Americans, therefore, are often indistinguishable from Italian Americans due to being assimilated into the greater [[Italian American]] community.

==Population==
===Demographics===
The top 10 cities in the United States that have the most Albanian Americans.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://zipatlas.com/us/city-comparison/largest-albanian-community.htm|title=Cities with the Largest Albanian Community in the United States|access-date=October 28, 2023}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" 
|-
! scope="col" style="width:200px;"|Cities
! scope="col" style="width:150px;"|Number of Albanian Americans
|- align=center
| New York, NY
| 39,471
|- align=center
| Philadelphia, PA
| 5,187
|- align=center
| Jacksonville, FL
| 3,812
|- align=center
| Sterling Heights, MI
| 3,331
|- align=center
| Worcester, MA
| 3,315
|- align=center
| Yonkers, NY
| 3,012
|- align=center
| Waterbury, CT
| 3,012	
|- align=center
| Quincy, MA
| 1,894
|- align=center
| Chicago, IL
| 1,768
|- align=center
| Boston, MA
| 1,550
|-
|}

Albanians tend to live in the Upper South, the Midwest, and the Northeast. The Albanian community is generally concentrated in the Northeast, with populations mostly in [[New York City]], [[Yonkers]] area, [[Waterbury, Connecticut]] area, [[Philadelphia]], [[Boston]] and nearby [[Quincy, MA|Quincy]]. There are some Albanian communities in Florida, mainly in the [[Jacksonville]] area. The main other Albanian communities are in the Midwest, such as in [[Metro Detroit]], Michigan, and [[Chicagoland]]. There are few Albanian communities elsewhere, with a small population in California and a slightly higher proportion in Texas, especially [[Dallas]].

===East Coast===
With over 60,000 Albanian-Americans, the largest community is in New York which serves as an important pillar of the Albanian community.{{sfn|Nedelkoska|2015|p=17}} 0.3% of New York State reports Albanian ancestry, and about 0.5% of NYC residents report Albanian ancestry. There is a concentrated Albanian community around the Bronx, especially around [[Belmont, Bronx|Belmont]], [[Bedford Park, Bronx|Bedford Park]], [[Morris Park, Bronx|Morris Park]], as well as also in [[Staten Island]], which is nearly one percent Albanian. Parts of [[Westchester County]] such as [[Yonkers]] and [[White Plains, New York|White Plains]] are rife with Albanian people, both having over 2,000 and 1,000 Albanians each, respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://unreachednewyork.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Albanian-Profile-Final.pdf|title= Albanians in the New York Metro Area}}</ref>

The New Jersey cities of [[Garfield, NJ|Garfield]], [[Clifton, NJ|Clifton]], [[Elmwood Park, New Jersey|Elmwood Park]], and [[Lodi, New Jersey|Lodi]] all bear over 500 Albanians each.

The [[Greater Philadelphia Area]] of [[Pennsylvania]] is rife with Albanian-descended persons. [[Philadelphia]] city proper, as well as the suburbs of [[Progress, PA|Progress]] and [[Berwyn, Pennsylvania|Berwyn]] are over 2% Albanian ethnically, and Philadelphia has over 5,000 Albanians in residence; 0.3% of the city's population.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://zipatlas.com/us/pa/city-comparison/largest-albanian-community.htm|title=Cities with the Largest Albanian Community in Pennsylvania|publisher=ZipAtlas and [[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=May 15, 2024}}</ref>

The [[Washington metropolitan area|DMV]] area encompassing D.C., Virginia, and Maryland, has several thousand Albanians: many reside in [[Fairfax County, Virginia]] (1,000; 120 in Dulles Town Center; 100 Floris; 100 in Oakton, and several dozen in other various cities and communities within the county), [[Arlington County, Virginia]], [[Loudoun County, Virginia]], [[Montgomery County, Maryland]], and [[Washington, D.C.]] itself has an Albanian American proportion that is slightly higher than the American figure of 0.06% (D.C.'s is 0.08%).

[[Massachusetts]] has a large Albanian population, especially in the communities of [[Worcester, MA|Worcester]], which has 3,000 Albanians, and [[Quincy, MA|Quincy]] with over a thousand.

===Midwest===
{{Main|Albanians in Chicago}}
{{Main|History of the Albanian Americans in Metro Detroit}}
Some 30,000 live in Michigan, about 20,000 live in Massachusetts, approximately 4,000 live in Ohio (in [[Greater Cleveland]], especially [[Lakewood, Ohio|Lakewood]] and the West Side of Cleveland), 14,500 live in Illinois and about 13,000 live in Connecticut.<ref name="WPR"/>{{sfn|Nedelkoska|2015|p=17}}<ref name="albanians-cleveland"/><ref name="destination-lakewood">{{cite web|first=Rebecca|last=Meiser|title=Destination Lakewood: How a bar town became an immigration hot spot|url=http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/destination-lakewood/Content?oid=1496957|publisher=[[Cleveland Scene]]|date=November 29, 2006|access-date= August 1, 2019}}</ref> The three largest communities (New York, Michigan and Massachusetts) account for 58% of the total Albanian-American population.{{sfn|Nedelkoska|2015|p=17}} Michigan has an Albanian American percentage for the state recorded at 0.4%, higher than New York's at 0.3%; thus having Michigan having the highest percentage of Albanian Americans of any state.

[[Hamtramck, Michigan]] is 3% ethnically Albanian. There are 5,000 Albanians in [[Macomb County]], and several thousand in [[Wayne County, Michigan|Wayne County]]. While few live in the Detroit city proper, many live also in the suburbs such as [[St. Clair Shores]] and [[Farmington Hills]]. (See [[History of the Albanian Americans in Metro Detroit]]).

[[Chicago]] has a large population of Albanians; the state of [[Illinois]] has over 15,000 Albanians, and 3,000 reside in Chicago proper. Exurban communities like [[Minooka]] have abundant Albanian populations. [[Milwaukee]] also has a sizeable Albanian community, while [[Wisconsin]]'s total Albanian population is estimated at 5,000 strong.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wisconsinmuslimjournal.org/how-a-mid-life-crisis-started-wisconsins-new-albanian-organization/|title=How a midlife crisis started Wisconsin’s new Albanian organization|publisher= Wisconsin Muslim Journal|accessdate=Feb 7, 2024}}</ref>

There is a sizable Albanian population in [[Missouri]], especially in [[Greater St. Louis]]; the town of [[Bella Villa]], which also has a large population of another Southern European ethnic group ([[Bosnian Americans]]), is 4% Albanian.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://zipatlas.com/us/mo/city-comparison/percentage-albanian-population.htm#google_vignette|title=Albanian Americans in MO|publisher=ZipAtlas|accessdate=May 7, 2024}}</ref> There are 1,200 Albanians in [[St. Louis County, MO|St. Louis County]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT1Y2022.B04006?q=Ancestry&g=040XX00US09,26,34,36_050XX00US29189|title=Reported Ancestry|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=May 20, 2024}}</ref>

===South===
[[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]] has the most Albanian Americans in [[Florida]] with 3,812 Albanians, having almost 1/4 of all Albanian Americans in Florida and 1.76% of all Albanian Americans.<ref name="AlbaniansZipFL">{{cite web|url=https://zipatlas.com/us/fl/city-comparison/largest-albanian-community.htm#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20Total%20Albanian,Population%20in%20Florida%20is%2015%2C290.|title=Cities with the Largest Albanian Community in Florida|accessdate=October 6, 2023}}</ref> Jacksonville's population is 0.4% Albanian by ancestry. [[Clearwater, Florida|Clearwater]], in the [[Tampa]] area, has 900 Albanian residents, almost one percent of its population, as well as an Albanian Islamic mosque. There is also another Tampa-area Albanian mosque located in [[Dunedin, Florida|Dunedin]], which has served as a place of worship for the [[Pinellas County]] Albanian Muslim community since 1996.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chamberofcommerce.com/business-directory/florida/clearwater/mosque/2014633587-albanian-islamic-cultural-center-of-clearwater|title=Albanian Islamic Cultural Center of Clearwater|publisher=Chamber of Commerce|accessdate=May 19, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1996/04/20/benefactor-s-fortune-is-future-for-mosque/|title=Benefactor's fortune is future for mosque|publisher=[[Tampa Bay Times]]|date=April 20, 1996}}</ref>

Nearby [[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]] has 500 Albanians, [[Spring Hill, FL|Spring Hill]] has 400, [[Gainesville, FL|Gainesville]] has 400, [[Egypt Lake-Leto]] has 350, and [[Palm Harbor, FL|Palm Harbor]] has 300.<ref name="AlbaniansZipFL"/> Collectively, the [[Tampa Bay|Tampa Bay Area]] has 3,344 Albanians, making it Florida’s second largest Albanian community after Jacksonville.

[[South Florida]] has an Albanian community, although it is rather very small in [[Miami]] and [[Miami Beach]], with the 2020s estimated data showing that not even a total of 100 ethnic Albanians live in those two cities combined. 30 miles from Miami is [[Oakland Park, FL|Oakland Park]], which has 800 Albanians, two percent of the city's population, and 350 live in [[Pompano Beach]].<ref name="AlbaniansZipFL"/> Orlando and nearby communities do not have many Albanians, although [[Sanford, FL|Sanford]], 20 miles away, has 300 Albanian residents.<ref name="AlbaniansZipFL"/>

Within the [[Dallas-Fort Worth]] metropolitan area, [[Plano, Texas|Plano]] has a large community in addition to the metropolitan area's two aforementioned cities. The zip code of 75075, west of the Central Expressway in Plano, is 1.5% Albanian; 500-600 residents.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://zipatlas.com/us/tx/zip-code-75075.htm|title=Zip Code 75075|publisher=ZipAtlas}}</ref> There is a Balkan/Albanian restaurant, cultural center in [[Lewisville, Texas|Lewisville]], and one to two thousand Albanians reside in the Dallas area.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uOPNEAAAQBAJ&dq=America%E2%80%99s+Changing+Neighborhoods+albanian+enclaves&pg=PA1168|title= America's Changing Neighborhoods [3 Volumes]: An Exploration of Diversity Through Places [3 Volumes]|isbn= 9781440828652|last1= Ueda|first1= Reed|date= 21 September 2017|publisher= Bloomsbury Publishing USA}}</ref>

There is an Albanian presence in the [[Nashville]] area. While much smaller in other parts of [[Tennessee]], such as [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] and [[Knoxville]] where both cities have less than 50 Albanians live in said cities proper, over 1,000 Albanians live in Nashville. There is an Albanian-language Christian [[monastery]] that is adjoined with a community center there.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://albteqeusa.org/|title=Albtequesa.org|publisher=Albtequesa.org|accessdate=May 19, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://zipatlas.com/us/tn/city-comparison/largest-albanian-community.htm|title=Largest Albanian communities in Tennessee|publisher=ZipAtlas and U.S. Census}}</ref>

Also, there is a small, yet thriving and historically important Albanian community in [[Louisiana]], particularly around [[New Orleans]]. Most of them are [[Arbëresh]] (Albanians from Italy).

===Western U.S.===
In addition to New York, Connecticut, Florida and Michigan having most of the Albanian population, pockets of sizable Albanians are found in [[San Diego County]], which has roughly up towards 1,000 Albanians, many residing in [[Santee, California|Santee]], or in the East San Diego County area. There are also several hundred Albanian Americans in the [[Sacramento Valley]], especially in and around [[Carmichael, California|Carmichael]]. [[Pasadena]], in [[Los Angeles]], also has several hundred Albanians. [[Scottsdale, Arizona]], as well as the [[Greater Phoenix]] area, has about 2-3,000 ethnic Albanians, and an Albanian cafe in [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cafebalkanaz.com/|title=Cafe Balkan AZ|publisher=Cafe Balkan AZ|date=2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://zipatlas.com/us/ca/zip-code-comparison/percentage-albanian-population.htm|title=Percentage of Albanian population|publisher=ZipAtlas/[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=July 20, 2023}}</ref> A small yet sizable Albanian community can be found in [[Washington state]], including [[Mercer Island]] and within the [[Seattle area]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://zipatlas.com/us/wa/zip-code-98040.htm|title=Albanian Americans by zip code in WA|publisher=Zipatlas/U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=July 20, 2023}}</ref>

===Age demographics===
Albanian-Americans are on average younger than non-Albanian Americans, having an average age of 33.5 in comparison to the American national average of 37.7. Albanian-Americans also have a higher percentage of males than non-Albanian Americans with 52.1% of the community being male versus the American national average of 49.2%.{{sfn|Nedelkoska|2015|p=3}}

===Albanian-born population===
Albanian-born population in the U.S. since 2010 (excludes Albanians born in Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro):<ref>{{cite web|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_15_1YR_B05006&prodType=table|title=American FactFinder - Results|first=|last=|website=factfinder.census.gov|access-date=2018-08-23|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200214060704/https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_15_1YR_B05006&prodType=table|archive-date=2020-02-14|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" 
|-
! scope="col" style="width:80px;"|Year
! scope="col" style="width:160px;"|Number
|- align=center
| 2010
| 77,407
|- align=center
| 2011
| {{increase}}86,010
|- align=center
| 2012
| {{decrease}}83,746
|- align=center
| 2013
| {{decrease}}81,047
|- align=center
| 2014
| {{increase}}81,622
|- align=center
| 2015
| {{increase}}89,744
|- align=center
| 2016
| {{increase}}93,033	
|-
|}

==Schools and language preservation==
[[New York City]] Public Schools started teaching Albanian language in the late 2010s; the language was offered to PS 105 in Morris Park, Bronx.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2018/05/03/nyc-schools-to-offer-instruction-in-albanian-numerous-other-languages/|title=NYC schools to offer instruction in Albanian, numerous other languages|date=4 May 2018 |publisher=[[New York Post]]}}</ref> Starting in 2024, Albanian language is taught at an Albanian and [[Montenegrin American]] cultural center to roughly 60 children in [[Ridgewood, Queens]], NYC, entitled the "Fol Shqip School," and [[Mercy College (New York)|Mercy College]] is the only college known to be teaching Albanian courses in New York City.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.voxnews.al/english/aktualitet/shba-ne-queens-te-new-york-ut-celet-shkolla-fol-shqip-i56482|publisher=Vox News|title=USA: "Fol Shqip" school opens in Queens, New York|author=Redaksia, Shrkuar Nga|date=January 10, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://theimpactnews.com/news/2021/12/08/mercy-college-enrolls-the-most-students-studying-albanian-than-anywhere-else-in-new-york/|title=Mercy is the Only College Offering Albanian in New York|publisher=The Impact News|author=Ramirez, Noelle}}</ref>

== Notable people ==
{{Main list|List of Albanian Americans}}

''Selected people'':
<gallery class="center">
File:Danny_DeVito_in_2018.png|[[Danny DeVito]]
File:Joseph DioGuardi.jpg|[[Joe DioGuardi]]
File:Ferid Murad.jpg|[[Ferid Murad]]
File:WilliamGGregory.jpg|[[William G. Gregory]]
File:JamesBelushi.jpg|[[Jim Belushi]]
File:Regis Philbin at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.jpg|[[Regis Philbin]]
File:Eliza Dushku 2, 2012.jpg|[[Eliza Dushku]]
File:Mike Bongiorno skying in Cervinia.jpg|[[Mike Bongiorno]]
File:Action Bronson Gov Ball 2016 (cropped).jpg|[[Action Bronson]]
File:Martin Shkreli 2016.jpg|[[Martin Shkreli]]
File:Bebe Rexha 2016 cropped.jpg|[[Bebe Rexha]]
File:Ava Max meeting fans (cropped).jpg|[[Ava Max]]
</gallery>

== See also == 
{{Portal|Albania|United States}}
* [[Albania-United States relations]]
* [[Albanian American Student Organization]]
* [[Albanian diaspora]]
* [[Albanians in New York City]]
* [[European Americans]]
* [[History of the Albanian Americans in Metro Detroit]]
* [[History of Albanians in Maine]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading==
* Federal Writers' Project, Works Project Administration (WPA) of Massachusetts. ''The Albanian Struggle in the Old World and New'' (1939).
* Fischer, Bernd J. “Albanian Refugees Seeking Political Asylum in the United States: Process and Problems.” ''Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies'' 31#1 (2005): 193–208.
* Jurgens, Jane. "Albanian Americans." in ''Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America'', edited by Thomas Riggs, (3rd ed., vol. 1, Gale, 2014), pp.&nbsp;61–73. [https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3273300015/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=GPS&xid=c69f1bde Online]
* Ragaru, Nadège, and Amilda Dymi. “The Albanian-American Community in the United States: A Diaspora Coming to Visibility.” ''Canadian Review of Studies in Nationalism'' 31, nos. 1–2 (2004): 45–63.
* [[Stephan Thernstrom|Thernstrom, Stephan]]; Orlov, Ann; [[Oscar Handlin|Handlin, Oscar]], eds. ''Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups'', Harvard University Press, {{isbn|0674375122}}, pp 23–28 [https://archive.org/details/harvardencyclope00ther Online free to borrow]
* Trix, Frances. ''The Albanians in Michigan: A Proud People from Southeast Europe'' (Michigan State University Press, 2001).

== Websites ==
{{refbegin|90em}}
* {{cite web
  | last = Nedelkoska
  | first = Ljubica
  | date = February 2015
  | title = The Albanian Community in the United States - Statistical Profiling of the Albanian-Americans
  | publisher = Center for International Development at Harvard University
  | url = https://growthlab.cid.harvard.edu/files/growthlab/files/usadiasporaprofile_final.pdf
  | access-date = 22 August 2018
  }}
* {{cite web
  | last1 = Ragaru
  | first1 = Nadege
  | last2 = Dymi
  | first2 = Amilda
  | date = March 2010
  | title = The Albanian-American Community in the United States
  | publisher = HAL archives
  | url = https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/file/index/docid/147588/filename/The_Albanian-American_Community_in_the_United_States.pdf
  | access-date = 22 August 2018
  }}
{{refend|90em}}

{{Ethnic Albanians}}
{{European Americans}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Albanian Americans}}
[[Category:American people of Albanian descent|*]]
[[Category:Albanian diaspora in the United States|*]]
[[Category:Albanian diaspora by country|American]]